1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf clubs and golf club transportation and, more specifically, to a compact golf club set having a set of golf club heads, two club shafts, and two club handles, all attractively positioned and retained, in a unique carrying case, which provides ready access to golf shoes, towels, balls and tees.
The various club shafts and club handles combine to form both a long and a short club assembly, corresponding with a typical driver wood and a typical putter, respectively. The club shafts couple directly to the club heads without an intervening shank, which allows a complete thirteen club head set to be compactly and efficiently positioned in receptacles in the carrying case.
Coupling is accomplished by threaded connection of the club head, club shaft and club handle, with a threaded sleeve providing a tightening enhancement at the coupling of the club shaft to the club handle. The direction of the threads in the coupling of such components is chosen such that tightening of the couplings is enhanced by the force of the club head striking the ball. The directions so chosen for the right-hand club heads are reversed for the left-hand club heads.
The case includes one or more compartments which store and secure golf balls and golf tees, such that they remain in place when the case is opened. Additional compartments are provided for other accessories, including golf shoes and a golf towel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are collapsible and compact golf clubs and golf club storage devices. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,691 issued to Hall on Jun. 16, 1998.
Another patent was issued to Palmer on May 12, 1987, as U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,382. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,038 was issued to Kettleson on May 3, 1977, and still yet another was issued on Aug. 11, 1998, to Hesser as U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,006.
Another patent was issued to Napolitano on Feb. 1, 1994, as U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,619. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,860 was issued to Ehrich on Jul. 9, 1991, and still yet another was issued on Jun. 23, 1987, as U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,747 to Mazzocco. A design patent, U.S. Pat. No. Des.358,187, was issued to Simonds on May 9, 1995.
A traveling golf club kit which enables a user to easily transport a set of golf clubs. In its broadest context the present invention includes a collapsible golf bag and a set of clubs, wherein each of the clubs has an assembled configuration and a disassembled configuration. The various components of the present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
A set of golf clubs has a detachable shaft portion such that a whole set of clubs can be utilized with a single top shaft element which can be firmly but removably attached to a shortened shaft portion provided with each club head. A carrying bag is provided for the clubs and shaft, this bag having a plurality of tubular receptacles, one for each club or shaft. A row of such receptacles is attached to each of the sides of the bag. The receptacles in each row have successively greater lengths and are arranged to form a stepped configuration so that the clubs will when installed in their receptacles have their heads in different levels in the bag for easy selection. A third row of receptacles are attached to each other and at one end of the row connected by a flexible connector to the rear of the bag so that the entire row will pivot both to facilitate selection of the clubs and to provide a compact assembly for carrying. The receptacles have caps on their ends with resilient finger portions to hold the clubs in a central position therein.
A golf cart and club assembly which can be collapsed to occupy only a fraction of the volume of conventional, commercial bag and club assemblies.
The disclosed collapsible golf club shaft is formed of a conventional stepped one-piece tubular golf shaft having diameters progressing from a large ID and OD end to a smaller ID and OD end, being cut in two at the end of one cylindrical axial sections next to the larger axial section, allowing the two pieces to be telescoped together as inner and outer pieces, and shifted then between a collapsed position compactly nested together and an extended operative position with only endmost stepped sections of the pieces yet overlapped at a separable connection between the pieces. A screw can be extended through wall structure openings and threaded into a reinforcing structure inside the inner piece at the connection for locking the pieces together in the extended operative position. A golf club formed from this shaft, with a hand grip on the outer piece and a head on the inner piece, at the opposite ends of the extended shaft, can be collapsible to slightly more than half the length of the extended operative club, for compact storage and handling.
A practice golf club has a collapsible adjustable shaft. The golf club includes a club head, a handle, and a shaft. The shaft has a number of telescopic sections that permit the shaft to be adjustable between a fully extended position and a fully collapsed position. The club head is attached to the lowermost shaft section and the handle is attached to the uppermost shaft section. A locking nut and a compression ring permit adjacent sections of the telescopic section to be releasably locked in a fixed position relative to each other at any location between a fully extended position and a fully collapsed position.
A golf club which includes an overlength shaft which includes telescopically connected tubular shaft members. The shaft members are shiftable between an extended operative position with the shaft members secured one to the other and a collapsed, inoperative position in which one shaft member fits loosely inside the other.
The present invention provides an improved golf club having an adjustable length shaft retractable between fully extended and collapsed positions. In one embodied form, the inventive golf club comprises plural concentric telescopic interlocking tubular sections which produce a friction lock between the tubular sections in a fully extended position. When the inventive club is in a fully collapsed position, the proximate ends of the tubular sections are disposed in relation to one another in sufficient distance to permit grasp of a player""s hand about one of the tubular sections, but without the occurrence of pinch between proximate ends of the tubular sections. In another embodiment of the invention, a durable lightweight golf bag is provided which provides a convenient means for carrying the inventive golf clubs and associated golfing equipment. Accordingly, the present invention provides improved golf clubs which are more conveniently retracted in a collapsed position without required specialized tools and which minimize the occurrence of pinch of a player""s hand when the club is in a retracted position.
The ornamental design for a golf club having a collapsible shaft.
while these golf clubs and sets devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
A primary object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club set with detachable club heads that have minimal structure beyond the club head, in order to maximize the storage efficiency of the club heads in a unique carrying case.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a club handle, club shaft, and removable club heads, wherein the club heads have a vertical portion which is shorter in length than a horizontal portion.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club with removable club heads that screw on to a club shaft in a direction such that the connection tends to tighten when the club head strikes a golf ball.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club set having thirteen removable club heads which correspond to a typical set of golf clubs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club set having two club handle and club shaft combinations, which correspond to typical putter and driver lengths.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club set which includes a unique briefcase-style carrying case, the carrying case storing and securing the components of both a long club assembly, a short club assembly, and thirteen club heads corresponding to the clubs in a typical set of golf clubs.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club wherein a club handle attaches to a club shaft by a first threaded coupling, and then by a threaded sleeve coupling, where the threads in the threaded sleeve coupling are reverse to those in the first threaded coupling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact golf club set having a carrying case which provides for golf accessory storage and retention, including accessories such as golf balls, golf tees, golf shoes, and golf towels.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide means for coupling, decoupling, transporting, and storing, a club handle, a club shaft, and a set of club heads.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide means for enhancing the storage efficiency of a set of club heads in a carrying case.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing more compact and efficient storage of the components of a compact golf club set. Because no shank or unnecessary vertical extensions of the club heads are present, the club heads can be individually positioned in the carrying case in a highly efficient and compact manner. Such efficiency allows a second club handle and club shaft assembly to be included which provides the needed club assembly length choice to properly utilize the club heads, which range from a putter to the driver wood.
Furthermore, the double coupling of the club shaft to club handle enhances coupling integrity. Similarly, the thread direction at the club head and club shaft coupling is alternated based on the use of either right-hand club heads, or left-hand club heads, such that the coupling tends to tighten as the club head strikes a golf ball.
In all, the present invention provides a more comprehensive solution, compared to prior art, to the need for an attractive, efficient, lightweight, and compact golf club set.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.